Shock
by BookLover904
Summary: Blair is normal sixteen/seventeen-year-old girl. That is, intill a tragic car crash kills her only family left. But thats not all. She starts to notice that whenever she can't control her emotions, strange things happen.  Sorry i suck at summarys!
1. Chapter 1

**Note: Hey, I'm really new at this so have mercy on me! But feel free to point out something that i missed or didnt spell right, okay? This is my first time putting something I've wrote online and it may have quite a few things wrong with it. Just a warning. It might take a while to get used to it. This story isn't really based on any of the books I've read.**

**-****Prologue****-**

That day started off like any normal day would have.

I woke up to the crisp smell of bacon that came from the kitchen. My dad always cooked bacon, eggs, and biscuits on Saturday. It was kind of our little family 'tradition' we started around five years ago when I was ten. Rian, my brother, had decided that we needed at least one thing we could declare a tradition in our family. At the time it sounded weird because most family's had more religious traditions. But after a while it clicked naturally into the weekly routine.

Stretching as much as my twin sized bed allowed me, I snook a peek at my clock. 10:43 am. Breakfast was a little late today. Then again, I was just waking up myself. The pat of my bare feet was loud when I stepped out of bed. Startled, I shook dark hair out of my face and looked in the mirror.

As usual, my brunette colored hair was a mess. It stood out all over my head at different angles as if it had a mind of its own. My dad had said I got my hair from him and my green eyes from my mother, who died when I was three. Instinctively I looked at them. They stared back with a sharp green color that could only be described as wild moss. Okay_, _not a good comparison but it was suitable.

Already thinking about food, I hauled myself off the bed and started toward the kitchen. Rian stood in front of the counter dividing scrambled eggs onto three separate plates. We took turns making the traditional Saturday breakfast and this was his weekend. Dad's was last week and next week was mine.

"So it IS still breathing," my brother said when he noticed me standing there like a Duffus.

"Yes, unfortunately for you...what?," I said as he rolled his dark brown eyes that were so unlike my own, "Did you actually think I'd give you the satisfaction of letting you eat my portion? Ha! Think again. Wait a minute; did you just call me 'it'?"

He opened his mouth to reply but changed his mind when my dad lumbered in. "Hmm, smells good Rian. Nothing like that pile of ashes I almost served us last weekend." Of course he was referring to how he just about burnt the biscuits that Saturday. Then in his haste to save the them, he slightly burnt the eggs along with the biscuits. I smiled at him and stuck my tough out at my brother when my dad wasn't looking.

This Saturday was particularly special. Somehow dad had scored tickets for us to go to a concert in the city. We had never gone to a concert before. To us it didn't even matter what bands were playing. The concert started at 10:00 pm and we awaited it eagerly.

"Come ooooonnn," I groaned as I waited by our ugly little car. A cold wind blew in the night sky giving me goose bumps. I looked at my watch; it was only 9:15. As if that wasn't bad enough, freezing rain pelted down on us and the car. I shivered. Leaving early was what we had all decided to do but it was still taking forever to get dad into the car.

"Thank you~," I coaxed and smiled as he sent me a 'don't make me make you stay home' look.

We never should have left the house.

_ "Do you think it's a guy band or a girl band playing tonight," I asked Rian happily.

He looked at me over his shoulder and shrugged. My brother had never really been the talkative type. And in truth neither was I. Both of us have been home schooled by our dad since either of us could remember.

Dad changed the channel on the radio to his weird country station as we crossed onto a bridge. The bridge stretched across the normally calm river that separated us from the city. Rain poured down heavily in sheets causing the river to be highly dangerous as it raged under the bridge and us. We had crossed this bridge many times that we knew the bridge would not collapse.

I shook my head and hid my smiling face in my hands as my brother and dad started to sing along to the radio. They were both horribly off-key and they missed half of the lyrics as they sang.

That's when it happened.

A truck, twice the size of our car, came barreling toward us on the wrong side of the road. My dad jerked the car to the left to avoid colliding with the huge vehicle. Tires squealed loudly and the high pitched sound filled my ears. But before we could even find a sliver of relief from avoiding the truck, we crashed through the railing on the bridge. I could feel the drop as if we were on a steep roller coaster at a theme park. The thing was, we weren't at any kind of park. We were all falling toward the deadly river with terrifying speed. A piercing sound filled my ears and I barely had the time to realize that it was me screaming.

_SPLASH!_ The car hit the water with agonizing force and began to sink instantly. Aware I had let go of my brother shoulder in the fall I reached for it again but found nothing. Terror was running through my veins as I tried to get my barrings. All I could see was _water water water_ as it filled the car. Not thinking straight I started cranking the window down before we were completely under the rough current.

Then not even three seconds later I was yanked from the car window and into the cold river. It had been at least 60 seconds since my last breath and my lungs ached for oxygen. I could feel my body rushing with the river and I couldn't tell which way was up. Pain burst across my shoulder as I hit something. Suddenly I remembered how to swim and opened my eyes. All around me in the water were white tendrils that seemed to moved anyway they liked. Some clung to me tried as I squirmed. They were strangely warm, way to warm to be floating in this half-frozen river. I dismissed tat thought and told myself that it was probably just gasoline from the car.

My legs kicked and reached as my arms pulled in a direction I prayed was up. Suddenly I broke through to the surface and could breathe for the first time in too long. Gulping as much air as I could I struggled franticly to keep myself above water. Then out of nowhere I saw it. The small beach that ran along the side of the river wavered in my sight. Instantly I began to swim agonizingly slow toward it. But I kept getting pulled under the current and each time I thought _I'm going to die_.

Something grazed my foot and I thought it was another tendril but it was different. It was too slimy and thick so I was confused for a moment. Then it hit me. _Mud. _I had made it to shore.

I was going to live.

I laid there catching my breath and coughing up water that had made it into my lungs. It took me several breaths to realize that I could hear sirens coming from my far left. And suddenly I remembered being the only one sliding out of the car. _ No no no no_ it's not possible, I'm sure they got out. Maybe I just didn't see them and they were right behind me the whole time.

But I knew better.

**Okay it's not all up yet because I'm kind of a slow typer but there IS more. Hope like it so far.**


	2. Chapter 2

**-Chapter 2-**

_A few days later_

The car rumbled softly as I buckled my seatbelt. Ms. Heming's car was small and a dark shade of black that fit her perfectly. Well, as far as I could tell anyway.

I stared at my lap waiting for her to tell me which orphanage she planned to ship me off to. For all I knew, it was called _'Once Upon a Time' _like living in an Orphanage made for the relative-less and unwanted was some type of Disney fairytale.If that horrifying thought came true I'd voluntarily barf. Preferably on the tacky sign.

"I'm taking you to the Home called '_A Smile for You'_," Ms. Heming's eyebrows drew together and she crinkled her nose. _My thoughts exactly_.

I looked out the window as she reached for the radio. Her blond hair was pulled back into a tight pony tail and I caught a glimpse of a huge diamond ring. So Ms. Hemings was engaged, good for her. A couple seconds later Green Day danced from the speakers. She turned it up till it drowned out the rumbling of her car, even though I wasn't afraid. But to tell the truth, I was very wary of the cars around us. Every time a vehicle roamed a little to close I couldn't help but shift away uncomfortably. Only when I slightly began to relax did we run over a pot-hole in the road. My butt lifted from the seat momentarily

And the shriek left my throat before I could stop it.

I covered my face with my hands to quiet myself down and put my head in my lap. A tear betrayed me and slipped down my cheek. As I gasped for air Ms. Hemings pulled the car over and placed her hand on my shoulder, hesitating.

"Blair?...What's wrong?," when I didn't answer she repeated more urgently, "What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

My head slowly shook from side to side. She nodded slightly and continued down the street. Of course I felt grateful towards her since she carefully avoided any kind of hole or bump the rest of the way. Then 15 agonizing minutes later we pulled onto a small deserted road. In the distance I could just make out a run-down looking house. Above the door a rotting sign hung that said '_A Smile for You_' in the colors of a rainbow.

Should I barf now? Or save it for later?

Two minutes had passed but Ms. Hemings and I were still sitting in the car. She didn't seem to want to get out any more than me.

"Um, Blair-," Ms. Hemings started, but she was interrupted by a knock on the window.

Ms. Hemings frowned and hesitated a slight second before rolling down her window. Just outside the door was a plump middle-aged woman that stood a bit closer than necessary. On her face was the biggest, fakest smile I had ever seen. Not that I had seen very many since my family had lived apart from the city. _My family's gone._ I could instantly feel my mood darken and my face harden. The woman at the window stepped back and gestured for us to get out of the car. So we did.

"Welcome to _A Smile for You_," she opened her arms as if expecting a hug, "I'm Mrs. Tread, but you can call me headmistress."

I shot a _'seriously?' _look in Ms. Hemings direction, but she ignored it. Ms. Hemings took Mrs. Tread's hand and gave a firm shake, "Hi, you can call me Ms. Hemings. I came to drop Blair off. She was assigned here. You got a notice?"

Mrs. Tread studied me as if seeing me for the first time. "Yes yes, of course! We've been eagerly waiting for you…Blair was it?" I nodded.

"Come come, we don't need to stand out here collecting dust." She ushered us up the creaking steps and into the house. The inside didn't look as abandoned as the outside but it still looked slightly unstable. A long narrow hallway led to a small room in the back. Seeing a yellow couch and a small TV I figured it was the living room. There was a window on the far side of the wall covered by white floral curtains. Looking to the left down another hall I saw about three doors. Then I looked to the right and saw an archway that I just assumed led to the kitchen.

Suddenly I realized that Mrs. Tread had asked me a question, "Sorry, what?"

A look of pure annoyance, anger, and something dark flickered in her eyes but it disappeared when Ms. Heming's turned around. Mrs. Tread didn't seem to care if I saw her ugly side though, I stiffened.

"I said, 'Would you like me to show you to your room?' You'll be sharing a room with Kiana. Hope you don't mind," she beamed her bright, yet super fake, smile our way again and briskly walked down the hall.

Before I could stop myself I sighed under my breath, "If she keeps smiling like that her face will crack."

To my relief Mrs. Tread didn't seem to hear me, but Ms. Hemings did. She looked over her shoulder and shook her head sternly. I got the message. _Behave_, but I saw the slight upward twitch of her lips before she turned back around.

They disappeared into the room, feeling awkward and out of place I followed them inside. The room was surprisingly big, but there was no way anyone could move around without having to twist sideways. Mrs. Tread had stuffed three twin-sized beds into the room. She had also mentioned that I had a roommate but she was nowhere to be found.

One of the beds- the one in the far corner- had red sheets and black pillow covers. Mrs. Tread pointed to the beds closer to the door, "Go ahead and pick which one you want kitten. I'll get some sheets for you so you can settle in."

Did she just call me _kitten_? God, I hoped Ms. Hemings knows what she's doing. I've always been good at reading others' expressions but she was a mystery to me.

Ms. Hemings turned to me, "Well, I have some papers to sign so you go meet the other girls," she turned back to Mrs. Tread. "Is that okay?"

"Yes that's perfect! I'll just go get them," Mrs. Tread walked into the hall. We stood there quietly, listening to her foot-steps fade. Then only when she was completely gone did Ms. Hemings speak.

"I think she has some kind of mental illness," I boldly told Ms. Hemings. She raised an eyebrow at me.

"No, I'm serious. Something isn't right in her eyes. Like, earlier I saw a slash of…something. Something dark, it's there if you look closely enough."

She checked to make sure Mrs. Tread was still down the hall then came around to where I was standing, squished between the two beds.

"There haven't been any reports of strange behavior or mistreatings' here. All the kids adopted from '_A Smile for You'_ foster care said that they enjoyed their stay and that Mrs. Tread was very kind." She looked as though she didn't believe her own words.

"Whatever you say," I mumbled under my breath, she didn't respond but I knew she had heard me.

Just then Mrs. Tread came back into the room, dragging a couple of angry looking girls. The one that entered the room first had wild red hair with a hazard of freckles. Behind her stood a short, stocky blond that couldn't of been over 16 years old.

"Great! So while you three get to know another Ms. Hemings and I will be in the other room. Play nice now," she sent a meaningful look to Freckles and Blondie as she left the room. Ms. Hemings followed behind her, giving me one last glance over her shoulder before she vanished from the room.

Freckles stepped forward first, "Okay let's lay down the rules. First of all, you sleep HERE," she grabbed my small bag and tossed it onto the bed next to the door. It hit the bed with such force that it rebounded and thumped to the floor.

"Second, you will be doing the dishes, the trash, and anything else we demand-," a cruel smile formed at her lips.

_Is she for real?_

"Last but not least, if you ever even THINK about giving me a nickname like 'Red' or 'Raggedy Ann' or anything along those lines, I will make sure that you're miserable."

_Too late_, I thought to myself bitterly. My thoughts flashed briefly to the car crash that night. My eyes began to burn, I blinked-hard -to hold back the unwanted tears.


	3. Chapter 3

-**Chapter 3-**

"It's about time that I left. Blair-," Ms. Hemings turned to me, "-have you settled in alright?" I felt my head bob up and down automatically.

She hesitated, "You're sure?"

My head made the same motion as before, "Go on, you've got a fiancé waiting," I pointed to her hand and gave her a small smile.

"Oh," Ms. Hemings blushed, "You noticed that?" She looked down at her hand and blushed an even deeper shade of red. Before I could stop myself I laughed. A short, soft sound that escaped my mouth before I even realized it.

"Well yeah, it's about the size of a marble! Who's the groom?"

"A guy I've been dating for years. His name's Dean," she smiled so brightly that I couldn't help but feel jealous. Ms. Hemings has someone waiting for her, someone that loves her. But I didn't, they were all dead. I mentally shook myself; I shouldn't think about such things.

"I'm happy for you Ms. Hemings," I said, truly meaning it.

"Thank you," she nodded. We were silent for a while and I felt uncomfortable. Not because of the silence, but because I was being stared at. My gaze snapped to the left, someone was watching me from inside the house. I dismissed it; it was probably just Mrs. Tread lurking by the window.

"Blair? Is something wrong," Ms. Hemings asked, concern creasing her forehead.

"Oh, sorry, it's no-," I got that feeling again. Stronger than before and I snapped my head toward the window. This time I got a glimpse of the person behind the curtain, and it wasn't Mrs. Tread.

It was a man.

That's odd. This was an all girls orphanage. There shouldn't have been any guys around here. Not to mention there were no other cars in the driveway but Ms. Hemings'. The curtain fell back just as quickly as it was drawn, leaving me confused.

"Blair," there was a hand on my arm and I jumped. My heel caught on something and I fell backwards. As a response, my hands shot out to soften the fall but with the angle it was no good. Pain spread across my palms and I was sure I had broken my tailbone.

A breath hissed out from between my teeth. I stood up, humiliation making my face burn. Without even looking down, I knew the damage wasn't bad.

"Are you okay?" Ms. Heming's face grew pale when she saw my hands. "You're bleeding."

My hands instinctively folded behind my back. It was obvious that she hated the sight of blood and there was no reason to upset her. "It's nothing Ms. Hemings, don't worry about it," I gave her a tight smile. "You should get going."

The look on her face told it all, she was worried. Her eyebrows scrunched together, causing her forehead to wrinkle between them. "Good-bye Blair," Ms. Hemings got into her small car. "If something happens…let me know."

Only when her car turned the corner did I let my smile drop. I looked down at my palms. They were throbbing in time to another, in some kind of continuous rhythm. Blood trickled slightly down my hand, it was a bit worse than I had thought. Tiny pieces of gravel had edged their way into the fleshy part of my palms.

I began making my way back to the house. Carefully, so I didn't bump the scrapes against anything. Honestly I just wanted to linger outside some more. But I had to rinse out the gravel and stop the bleeding before I did anything else.

When I got to the front door it opened for me. Mrs. Tread reached forward so quickly I almost didn't see her. Her hand clasped around my arm and jerked me inside. The slam of the door rattled around my head. I stood there, in shock.

"Hurry up," She snapped. "You have dish duty. After that you need to make this house shine."

I refused to let her know she intimidated me. Even if only the slightest. My gaze leveled with hers and I jerked my arm free. "Where's the kitchen?"

About an hour later I still wasn't done. The only progress I had made was finally finishing the towering stack of dishes, sweeping, and mopping. Dusting, fixing the window, and taking out the trash was still on my to-do list. I was currently in the process of taking out the trash when someone came up behind me.

_Oh joy._

"I see Mrs. Tread didn't waste any time." Kiana stood not even five feet away, her lips curled in a wicked smile. Sighing, I turned toward her.

"Need something Kiana?" I really wasn't in the mood to argue with her. We both know that's what she wanted. So, I simply wouldn't give her the satisfaction of me responding the same way. "I was just taking the trash out."

"But of course, it's your job now."

With my back turned to her, I rolled my eyes. I mean seriously. Just _what _did I do to make her so hateful toward me? Despite my grinding teeth, I had a question to ask.

"Kiana, can I ask you something?"

She opened her mouth to, for sure, give me a snippy retort but I interrupted her. "Is there a man living here?"

Her mouth snapped closed with an audible crack. When she didn't answer I asked again. "I saw someone looking at me from behind the curtains. Is there?"

Kiana's eye darkened with pain, surprising me back a step. Her knuckles turned white as she clenched her fist. "W-Whate_ver_ you do, STAY AWAY FROM THAT DOOR."

And with that she turned and dashed inside the house. I stood there, shocked to the core. I hadn't thought she'd respond that way. I was almost sure she'd snap some kind of unfriendly comment. She had looked me straight in the eye, still with terror. And that scared _me_.

Something was out of place here, and I needed to know what it was. If I didn't, whatever it was that made Kiana so terrified would continue. Even if she was hateful towards me, no one should be able to make a look like that said, I went back to the kitchen to finish my to-do list. My eyes and ears wide alert for anything strange.


	4. Chapter 4

**-Chapter 4-**

A couple agonizing hours later, we had dinner. Mrs. Tread, Kiana, Blondie, and I all currently stood in the kitchen. It had yellow walls and rotting trim that looked like it hadn't been replaced in a long, long time. Surprisingly though, it wasn't all that small, possibly the biggest room in the house.

"Doris! Get the dishes from the cabinet and set the table. Don't just stand there and stare, make yourself useful for once."

Okay, so her name is Doris. At least I knew her name now. I watched as Doris searched the cabinet for plates, looking uncomfortable. Mrs. Tread was cooking something that smelled like horribly burnt porridge. Kiana sat at the table, openly glaring at me.

Not knowing what to do, I sat at the small table across from Kiana. It was that or next to her, and by the way she was sneering at me, I knew she didn't want me near her period. So, despite the heat of her stare, I sat down and smiled as brightly as I could muster. Her glare faltered slightly but then flared up all over again.

Doris placed a plate full of half-cooked porridge in front of me. She smiled sadly. I shrugged and began to eat my mush. It wasn't that bad for porridge. Well, it was if you ignored the charcoal aftertaste.

"What's wrong?" Kiana said viscously. "Not fancy enough for you?"

The porridge was plenty fancy. There were times when we ran dangerously low on money and had to eat porridge once a week. I could still remember the day my brother had offered to start working. My dad refused instantly and they argued for two hours straight. It was the first time I had heard them both so mad, so insistent.

Rian and I were both so young. He was fourteen and I was only ten. Dad didn't want Rian to work at such a young age. Finally, when Rian turned sixteen, dad allowed him to take up a part-time job. We never had money problems again.

So with that, I excused myself from the table to take a shower.

So, there I stood, staring at my reflection in the mirror. My hair was a matted, greasy mess and frizzed out a couple of inches. But that's not what I was looking at. Nor was I looking at the dark circles that had formed under my eyes during the past week. I was looking at my shoulder, at the jagged scar that ran across it. The pink, ugly scar that the nurse said would be permanent. Meaning I would have this scar to look at for the rest of my life. However long that may be. Always reminding me of what happened.

And that it was my fault.

I had pushed dad a week before it happened. I wanted to go to a concert, just once, before I turned seventeen. I begged and begged and begged.

Until dad came home one day, surprising us both with front row tickets to a concert. The next day, we went. Only we didn't really, because half way there, our car plummeted into the river. I made it out with a scar and minor cuts. They didn't make it out at all. My forty-six year old father and twenty-one year old brother both died that day. Leaving me alone, to fend for myself.

On my seventeenth birthday.

**Sorry guys! This chapter is really short!**


	5. Chapter 5

**-Chapter Five-**

"What do you want from me Kiana?" I snapped. After my cold shower, I had come back to my room only to find Kiana lounging on my bed. When the cold water washed over me in the shower it reminded me of the freezing river. It put my nerves on edge. And dealing with Kiana's crap attitude was the last thing I wanted to do right now.

She faltered, "N-Nothing I guess."

"Then why? Why are you so hateful towards me? What's your reason? Why can't you just leave me alone?"

Kiana sat there, stunned, like she didn't know why herself. But she did, she just didn't know it yet. Maybe I could coax it out of her. Carefully, like that counselor at the hospital had tried with me. The counselor wasn't successful, but I would be. It was a gift of mine, one of very few. Like my defense skills for example.

I sat down next to her on my bed. "Kiana," I said gently, "it's okay, you can tell me. Nothing will happen."

If I was right, that was what she was afraid of. Well, I didn't exactly know _what_ she was afraid of, but that's what I'd find out. Her red hair swished from side to side as she shook her head.

"You don't know that! What can you do? He's so much stronger than us! Even Mrs. Tread is scared of him." Kiana whispered the last part, as if Mrs. Tread would come barging into the room at the sound of her name.

"Who is he? Kiana, answer me or I can't help you." I gripped her shoulders and shook her lightly. "_I will help you."_

Her hands trembled as she spoke, "H-He's Mrs. Treads husband. He shouldn't be here. It's an all girls orphanage, but he is! For the past three years he's been hiding in that room and never comes out."

I nodded to show her I was listening as I paced the room.

"If that was all…it wouldn't matter. But, he gets...bored." Her voice broke and she started to sob. Then it hit me, I needed to get Kiana and Doris out of here. No matter what it took. What did I have to lose?

"I'm going to get you, Doris, and me out of here Kiana. I promise."

Rolling over I looked at the small clock: 12:03am. My head was swarming with half-assed escape plans. We couldn't just run away. Where would we go? I mean, really. That's why we're here in the first place. If only I could get us kicked out somehow-

_CLACK!_

I jumped out of bed, my feet slapping the floor. _What was that?_ A light fluttered down the hallway and into the room. Looking over, I realized Kiana wasn't standing next to me. She was gone. Not good. Yelling pierced my ears as I darted down the hall. It was a man's voice that I didn't recognize and Mrs. Treads.

"Just leave them alone Billy! You still have me!" Her voice vibrated around the room, where I now stood.

The man- Billy -stood with his back to me, that for which I was grateful. He was huge, at least 6' 2". Quickly, keeping him in my line of vision- like that was hard -, I scanned for Kiana and Doris.

When I found them I felt two emotions, relief and then horror. They were curled in a corner clinging to each other. Doris has a thin line of blood trailing from a cut on her brow. Behind her, Kiana looked unharmed, but terrified. On the floor in-between Mrs. Tread and the man, lay a heavy set chair. It must have been what I heard down the hall a few minutes back.

"You? Why would I want _you?_" He screamed.

But before she could even answer he lashed out and hit her. The force of his fist knocked her into the wall and onto the floor. She didn't move after that. Only the slight rise and fall of her chest told me she was still alive.

The man didn't seem to care; he turned to Doris and Kiana. Doris twisted her body to cover most of Kianas'. Kiana just sobbed silently and clung to Doris's waist even tighter. If that was possible. Me, I stood there. I needed to do something. Anything. _I didn't know what to do._

That was, in till he reached for them. My feet moved on their own accord and I found myself standing tall in front of them. Blocking his path.

"Move."

I looked him in the eye.

"_Move."_

"No."

With that one word it was like pulling a clip from the grenade. He exploded, and stars shoot across my vision. I cupped my jaw with one hand while the other clutched the desk to hold me up. Through my blurred vision, I could just make out his vicious smile.

"Hurts to be hit don't it?"

"Not sure, you tell me." I lunged and swung my fist. He dodged easily and laughed. But that's not really where I had been aiming. My knee jerked upward, connecting with his groin. There was a loud _thump_ as he fell to his knees.

"Run!"

To my relief, they listened. Doris dragged Kiana onto her feet and started for the door. Halfway to the door, Kiana tripped and fell, bringing Doris down with her.

"I got you now!" Screamed 'Billy' as he grabbed Doris's ankle and yanked her toward him. She kicked franticly, trying to pry him off. Yet he didn't budge.

If I didn't do something, she and Kiana would get hurt. Me included. Instincts' kicked in and I expected to find myself lunging at him. To be scratching his eyes out, his skin off.

Instead, my fingers began to tingle. It spread from my fingers and toes up to my arms and thighs, engulfing me. Slowly it turned into a prickly sensation. The skin behind my left ear began to burn and I knew something was about to happen.

Lights flickered on and off. I could hear a faint buzz coming from the walls all around us. Suddenly- distracting me from what seemed to be a power surge -was a grunt. Not a "trying to get your attention" grunt, but a grunt of pain.

'Billy' was still on the floor, but something was different. His limbs were stiff and jerking slightly, unnaturally. Maybe he was having a stroke…

The lights blew out, coating us in glass. But I was too distracted to cover myself and protect my face. Right in front of me, bright blue currents of electricity shot back and forth between my fingers. I could feel it in my veins, in my hair, but it didn't hurt. It felt peaceful.

Next to that, the same thing was happening to Mrs. Tread's husband. Nothing about it looked peaceful for _him. _He looked like he was in pain, and a lot of it. His skin glowed a fluorescent blue, allowing us to see him. I, myself, could see each and every individual current that moved under his skin.

He stopped moving.

Kiana and Doris shrieked as they crawled from the room. Not just from him, but from me as well. They shot one last look of terror over their shoulders'. My skin glowed like his had, but I was fine.

I looked from my skin, to his body. His glow faded and mine got brighter. _Huh?_ Walking over to him, I realized something. _His chest is not moving._

No, no way. He was NOT dead. My glow faded and everything went silent. In the dark I felt my way down the hall. Tears streamed silently down my face. _What did I do? _

I _killed_ someone.

Finally, my hand found the wall-phone and I dialed the number I had memorized in the past few days.

"Hello?" Ms. Heming's voice came from the phone and I almost choked.

"Help me."

**Okay, so I'm not really good at all this story stuff. The plot will probably be all over the place. But I'm trying. The past few chapters, and probably the next chapter, in all is like a REALLY long prologue. To show everything that's happens before it settles down. Please review.**


	6. Please Read!

***I'll continue updating when I get a couple reviews. I want to know your opinions before I continue. So review please.***


	7. Chapter 7

**NOTE: It's going to be a bit short. Forgive me!**

**-Chapter Six-**

Thirty minutes later, I was leaning against Ms. Heming's little black car, as the cops searched the house. A thin scratchy blanket was layed on my shoulders, but I hardly noticed. I felt numb.

Cop cars had arrived, then after searching the house, an ambulance showed up. Its wailing siren pierced the night sky. Ms. Hemings stood next to me, standing protectively with her arms crossed.

"Why won't you tell me what happened?" She said crossly.

"Because I don't know what happened. It just-" My voice was a rasp, trying to deceive my calm mask. "-did."

Her eyebrows drew together stubbornly, "But-"

"What about Kiana and Doris?" I haven't seen them since they ran away from me. "Where are they?"

"Oh, they're over by Mr. Densins' car, resting like you. But, as I was going to say before, they asked that we keep you from them. Without giving us a reason. Care to elaborate?"

"No."

Ms. Hemings sighed, not like she was annoyed, just tired. Guilt shot through me; at least, I _hope_ it was guilt. And not that- that _thing_ that had killed Mr. Tread. I looked down at my fingers, normal. Everything was back to normal.

Well, kind of.

My family was still dead, and now, so was Mr. Tread. And it was my own doing. I killed him. Even if it wasn't on purpose and to protect Doris and Kiana.

What now?

When no one answered I said it out loud, "What now?"

Ms. Hemings the one who answered me. "Well, since we don't know what happened, nothing. Mr. Tread is…gone and Mrs. Tread is in currently in a coma. Dorris told us the basics, Mr. Tread attacked and you protected them. What had happened to Mrs. Tread was Mr. Tread's doing, but what about Mr. Tread?"

Just then a police officer walked up to Ms. Hemings with a confused look on his face. "Ma'am," he nodded, "Mr…Tread… seems to have died from some type of electrocution. But for some reason, even after searching the house thoroughly, we can't find any way that was used to do it. A few lines were blown out, but those are from several parts of the building."

Ms. Hemings sighed, "So? What now?"

That's what I was thinking.

"I trust you will handle where the girls go and I will handle the situation here."

-An hour later-

So there I was, collapsed in the front seat of Ms. Heming's car, Doris and Kiana clung to each other in the back seat. We were on our way to another orphanage, Ms. Hemings had told us a few minutes before. She kept looking over at me, concern creasing her forehead.

Before we had left, I pulled Ms. Hemings aside and begged her to make sure Kiana and Doris went to a good home. And I wasn't the type to beg.

She knew it, so she agreed.

They were going to a single mothers' house that would only accept two of us.

This meant she'd only take Doris and Kiana.

Not me.

Don't get me wrong, I was happy they were going to the same place. But I couldn't help wondering why she didn't want me as well. Maybe it was because they didn't want me there. Had they made a request? I was only protecting them; I didn't mean to…kill him.

Something tugged at my stomach, thinking of him laying there. His blank eyes open, staring at me through a cloud of fog. Not to mention what had filled his eyes before the fog.

Horror.

My hand clamped over my mouth.

"Pull over! Hurry!"

She did, and I burst out of the car. Immediately she jumped out and came around the car, to where I was on my hand and knees. My back arched as I retched, spewing out the porridge I had eaten for dinner that night.

I could hardly feel Ms. Hemings hand on my back or hear her reassuring murmurs. But it calmed me anyway. Eventually, the retching stopped, and was replaced by body-shaking sobs that included a snotty nose.

"Shh… It's going to be okay. I don't know what to do. How can I help?"

There was nothing she could do to help.

"Blair? Please, it's okay. Shh…"

So I asked her the impossible, "Don't-…"

"Don't what?" Ms. Hemings whispered.

"Don't take me to another orphanage. Please-" Another sob shook my body, "-I can't take it. I- I know it's selfish. But-…please."

Ms. Hemings was quiet, and then finally after a few minutes of torturous silence, "I'll try my best."

**NOTE: Okay so far? Sorry it may seem a bit choppy. This is the first thing I've really written besides school essays. But I'm trying my best. I've got a plan and it's not possible unless I do this. Or there are other options but I like this one better even if it's not realistic, because I'd like to keep Ms. Hemings in the story. So review for me, maybe even give me some tips! Hope you enjoy.**


	8. Chapter 8

**-Chapter Seven-**

**Okay, this chapter is a few days later. Sorry if you get confused!**

The chair creaked every time I shifted my weight. How old was this thing? It's not like I'm overweight, especially after I lost all that weight after the accident. Though it's not like I'm stick thin now. I still had the curves that any normal girl would kill for.

After dropping Kiana and Doris off at their new orphanage, Ms. Hemings brought me back to her office where she promptly told me to sit on this old chair in the hallway. Just seconds before she disappeared into the room next to it.

Twenty minutes later, I still sat there, ignoring the questioning stares from almost everyone who passed. One man, wearing jeans and a t-shirt, actually stopped to openly look at me. Or so I thought—he was actually looking at the door next to me. And with a brief "Excuse me sweetheart" he slipped past me and into the room that Ms. Hemings had entered.

Sitting there, I had a lot of time to think. I'd asked her to not take me to an orphanage but…where else would I go? I guess I hadn't really thought about it. Moment of insanity much…?

"Blair?"

I jumped and twisted in my seat to look at Ms. Hemings, who had her head poking outside the door. "Can you come in here for a moment? I'd like to introduce you to someone."

I nodded and followed her into the small room. Inside was a cherry wood desk with three matching chairs. In one of them sat the man from earlier and behind the desk sat a plump woman with glasses hanging from around her neck. Sunlight streamed through the window behind the desk, lighting up the room.

The woman nodded once, collected a thick stack of papers, and briskly left the room. Okay, who crapped in her Cheerios? Certainly not me, I'm sure.

Ms. Hemings cleared her throat before talking, "Blair, this is Dean. My fiancé…I thought you two should meet before we made any further decisions."

I shot her an openly confused look, which she dismissed by turning to Dean, who looked kind of awkward lounging there on the chair. "Honey this is Blair, the girl I've been telling you about these past few days."

Dean stood, confirming that he was about a foot taller than me and definitely Ms. Hemings. And I, myself, am pretty tall. He stuck his big calloused hand out, flashing white teeth, "Hey kiddo."

I took it, shaking his hand firmly before pulling away and tucking my arms across my chest. His hand reminded me too much of my brothers. When I thought about it, he and Ms. Hemings were in there late twenties. Close to Rian's age.

"So," he continued, "my wife has told me things about you, and as far as I can tell, it sounds like you are just like her when she was your age."

Behind me, I heard Ms. Hemings gasp before waving him off. "Whatever Dean…and it wasn't _that_ long ago. It's only been a few years."

He rubbed his scruffy chin and looked upward as if thinking deeply, "Ah, yes. How old are you Blair? Eighteen?"

"Seventeen…"

"See? That's a little over ten years ago sweetie! I'd say it was quite a while ago." This time Ms. Hemings reached around me to pinch his arm, which he rubbed exaggeratedly.

She scolded him, "Take this a little more seriously will you?" But we both saw the thin smile she was trying to hide behind her hand.

"Fine, fine," Dean grumbled before turning back to me. "What school did you use to go to?"

Why were they asking me questions? My heart pounded mercilessly against my rib cage. "I-I was home schooled between my father and brother."

He dropped back down into his seat with Ms. Hemings following right behind him. She gestured for me to sit in the chair in the middle, so I did. Dean scratched his head, "That's a bit rare…to be home schooled so close to a good school."

I shrugged, "My mom didn't like the school. Or that's what my father used to tell me. She always had her own beliefs."

The door clicked open, revealing the plump woman once again as she made her way to the desk. She clucked her tough, "Feet off my table Mr. Fare, did no one teach you any manners?"

"Did no one give you enough hugs as a child?" I mumbled under my breath.

Ms. Hemings seemed to find this rude, as I could tell from the look she shot me, but Dean chuckled. He even held his hand up for a high-five, which I returned after a slight hesitation.

Ms. Hemings gave us both disapproving looks. Dean smiled at me, winking before he put on a more 'serious' expression. I didn't realize that, gradually, I started to feel more relaxed sitting between them.

"Have you two made your decision?" The woman asked as she slid on her gaudy glasses. She peeked over the rims at Ms. Hemings and her husband then looked down at the papers she was holding, "Yes? No?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Dean and Ms. Hemings share a look. I glanced at Ms. Hemings, then Dean, still confused.

Dean spoke first, "You know what? I'm game. It's worth a try, right?"

Then Ms. Hemings, "I'd already made mine. The rest was up to Dean. So," she glanced at me, smiling, "then we've made up our mind."

"What decision?" I asked, becoming tense and nervous. "I've got it Paula," Ms. Hemings turned to me. "We were thinking…that you could come and live with us for a while. Temporarily. And if it all works out, we'll adopt you."

I was stunned into silence.

"Is that okay with you?"

My mouth opened but no sound came out, so I settled for nodding.

Everyone jerked in surprise when Dean clapped his hands together, "So it's settled! Since we already signed the papers we can head out. We have your bag in the car already as well."

"Oh, okay…sooo…," I rung it out, asking a silent question.

Ms. Hemings caught on first, "We'll take you back to our place so you can settle in. It already decided that you'll go to Union High School on Wednesday. Okay?"

I nodded. Wednesday, that gives me the rest of today and tomorrow. "Cool."

We drove in separate cars, me and Ms. Hemings in hers and Dean in his. He drove a slightly muddy red truck, seeming twice the size of Ms. Hemings little vehicle.

She huffed, "I don't know why he always insists on driving right behind me. Does he think my car will combust or randomly fly away? I mean really!"

When I watched the red truck, I realized that he did seem quite determined to stay _directly_ behind us. Not even letting any cars cut in front of him. This amused me a bit, and I feared it would show on my face. It did.

"It's not funny," Ms. Hemings scowled at him when she saw him in the rearview mirror, "I'm sure he's breaking some kind of law."

I shook my head, fighting off a smile that I hadn't smiled in weeks. "Ms. Hemings-"

She jumped, "Oh! That's what I wanted to talk to you about. Why don't you try calling me by my first name now that we're going to be living together. It's Trina. "

"Sure…Trina."

Ms. Hemings- I mean _Trina_ nodded, "It'll take some getting used to but I think it'll work."

Next thing I knew, we were at a gate. It was iron and stood at least ten feet tall. I squinted, watching the guard walk to the car. When he got close enough I saw that his name tag read THOMAS in big block letters. He was bald with one of those typical grey mustaches under his nose.

"Well, good evening Trina. I presume that Dean is somewhere close behind?" He said, chuckling to himself.

She sighed, smiling a little as well, "Isn't he always?"

"But of course," he bent down to check the car, and froze when he saw me staring. "Hmm, who might this be?"

"This is Blair; she'll be living with us from now on. So make sure you don't lock her out because you don't recognize her."

Thomas scratched at is neck, "Will do ma'am. Have a good day." He speed walked back to his station, fumbled with a few buttons, and waved to us then Dean. Then will almost no sound at all, the gate slid to the left, inviting us in.

Beyond the gate, a suburb of houses lined the pavement streets. All of them huge in the same way. They had to of been at least three stories tall. The yards were a different matter, most were pretty small, but some could fit pools in the backyard. I got a glimpse of a few over the white privacy fences that cornered half of the houses. To the designers' credit, every house had just a little bit of difference. Whether it was the color, shape, or charm that radiated off of each one.

Trina pulled the car into a driveway, "Home at last."

She jumped out but I hesitated. Maybe someday, this would be home to me too. Trina came around and opened my door, "Come on in. Dean will get your bag."

I nodded, climbing up out of the small car and shutting the door just before Dean's truck pulled in next to it. He stuck his head out of the window, "How 'bout we order pizza? I'm starved."

My stomach growl involuntarily, "Sounds good to me. Any chance we can get meat lovers with cheese crust?" It felt odd asking.

Dean draped his arm dramatically over his eyes, "Thank the heavens! She's not a vegetarian!" He peeked at me from under his arm, smiling. "Of course, it's my favorite too."

Trina rolled her eyes, "Dean that was _one_ time. And it was only for a _week_."

"And what a long week that was! She tried to go all vegetarian on me. My taste buds left me alone and just recently came back," he explained.

She glared at him.

After Dean grabbed my suitcase we headed inside. Trina set off down the hall to call Pizza Hut while I followed Dean. The front door opened right into the kitchen. Which, by the way, looked as fancy as the outside of the house, with pure granite counter tops and white cabinets.

Straight a crossed was an archway that led into the living room. The dark hardwood floor looked chilly under my feet. But I couldn't feel it through my worn tennis shoes. One of the few things I brought with me.

A flat screen hung from the wall, facing a black leather couch and coffee table. I was still gawking at it when Dean turned down the hall where Trina disappeared. He started flipping more lights on as he went up the stairs, "Sorry, Trina likes it to be at least freezing in here. And she has a bad habit of walking around in the dark." He stopped a wooden door with a shiny bronze handle and opened it. Inside was a delicately designed, vintage themed room. "You'll be staying in this room here, unless you'd like another. We have a few other spare rooms you can stay in."

"No, no. This one is fine." I confirmed, taking in the dark room. The window popped outward, providing a ledge to sit on. The bed was a full-size, covered by a frill-edged red bed cover. It was such a smooth color that it could have only been described as "blood red".

I took my suitcase from Dean and set it on the bed lightly. "Um, Dean?"

He leaned against the doorway, "Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"No problem. I'm going to go check on Trina and make sure she didn't order supreme pizza."

"Yeah, okay."

Then he left, leaving my alone so I could unpack my suitcase. I zipped it open, pulling out the three pairs of jeans I own and placing them on the bed. Under it was the picture. It was taken two years ago by a random pedestrian for us, it was my favorite.

My dad had insisted that we get out of the house and go to the park just outside of the city. We complained and shot snarky comments all the way there. But of course, we didn't feel like raining on dad's parade and played along when we got there. The first thing we did was feed the ducks. I remember the look on Rians' face when a goose flew at him; he fell flat on his butt in the mud. Dad and I laughed for ten minutes straight, but Rian didn't think it was funny until weeks later.

I asked a nice woman passing by to take a picture of us and she did. In the picture the lake was behind us and shining brightly. I stood in front of my brother and dad, looking small. At the last second, Rian had snaked his hand up to my head, rustling my hair into a knotted mess. As a result, the picture was a bit weird. With me twisting around to glare at Rian, and Rian smiling down at me with an amused expression, Dad was the only one facing the camera. He looked as happy as can be.

I loved this picture just as much as the one I had hidden behind it. To put it simply, it was of my mother. Her bright hair was pulled back in a black clip, a few strands escaping. She squinted up at the camera with her mouth curled up in a knowing smile. But really got me was her eyes. They were _just like _mine, with the same piercing green.

It was the only picture I had of her. And at the moment, I was really glad I had stuffed it into the black frame with the first one. Otherwise I would have forgotten it.

After packing everything I had brought into the drawer, I lied down on the fluffy bed. Just as I did I heard Dean calling from downstairs.

"Blair! The pizza is here!"

My stomach growled even louder than before.


End file.
